Humor Highlights Buckeye Kickoff

Ryan Ginn

04/02/2014

Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer as well as several assistant coaches and players spoke to about 600 fans on Wednesday at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center for Coach Meyer's Buckeye Football Spring Kickoff. Meyer told a story involving former OSU coach Earle Bruce, while OL coach Ed Warinner took a couple of jabs at Michigan to the crowd's delight.

Speaking to a crowd of Buckeye football supporters on Wednesday, Ohio State offensive line coach Ed Warinner had a little bit of fun at the expense of the Wolverines.

"Late in the fall, a lot of people get nervous because there's a lot of loud, annoying Wolverines that just make you nervous, bother you," Warinner said. "If you're worried about those guys, just move your family to Pasadena for a month and you'll be fine. You'll never have to deal with them."

Ed Warinner: "If you're worried about Wolverine fans, just move to Pasadena. You'll never have to deal with 'em."

He followed that joke up a few minutes later with another one as he waited for the offensive linemen to come up to the stage for questioning.

"I heard they also lost some playbooks up north," he said. "The Team Up North had, I heard that someone broke in and stole some playbooks. I heard Brady was really upset because he hadn't finished coloring them."

Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer was also in a storytelling mood when he took the podium, sharing a tale from the 2006 SEC Championship game when his Florida Gators defeated Arkansas, 38-28, to advance to the BCS title game.

Prior to the game, he was approached by former Ohio State coach Earle Bruce, who is the grandfather of OSU wide receivers coach Zach Smith, then on the staff at Florida as a quality control assistant.

"I'm sitting there staring at my game plan, and all of a sudden I feel someone punch me in my side," Meyer recalled. "He goes, ‘You OK?' and I said, ‘Oh hey, coach, I didn't know you were there.' There were a bunch of young ladies cleaning up the plates and all that, and I said, ‘Actually, I'm not doing very good here. I'm tightening up. I've gotta loosen up.'

"He started just swinging and hit me in the chest. I can't use the language he was using, but he said, ‘What the eff is wrong with you?' And then I'll never forget this – he said, ‘Let the MFer go,' screaming at me. Those poor young ladies… I'm being assaulted by – I don't want to say an old man, but an older guy, actually beating the hell out of me right in front of them.

"And so the message is very clear. I wrote down right on the bottom of a little manila folder I always carry with me, ‘Let the blank-blank go.' I give him credit, there was a call made on 4th-and-11 on our own 10-yard line. Things are going to go bad unless we change the momentum of that game. I look right down there, so I give credit to Coach Bruce for punching me in the chest and having me make that call."

After Arkansas scored three straight TDs to take a 21-17 lead late in the third quarter, Jemalle Cornelius rushed for 17 yards and a first down on that fourth-down call to preserve the drive. Florida went on to score and never trailed again.

Meyer, along with his coaches, players and OSU fans were on hand at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center for Coach Meyer's Buckeye Football Spring Kickoff. Funds raised from the event benefit the OSU Wexner Medical Center's Earle & Jean Bruce Alzheimer's Research Fund and the Urban & Shelley Meyer Cancer Research Fund.

A live auction led by WBNS-TV sports anchor Dom Tiberi raised $14,050, and there was also a silent auction beforehand. One of the seven items, a four-person package for the Ohio State football women's clinic, helped raise funds for Maria's Message in an attempt to combat distracted driving. Tiberi's daughter, Maria Tiberi, was killed in a car accident on Sept. 17.

"I encourage you to check us out on the web and check us out on 10-TV and please share Maria's Message with those that you love," Tiberi said.

Lynn Bruce, daughter of the former OSU head man, was pleased with the event, which she estimated raised about $90,000 before the silent auction.

"It was a little bit lighter than we've had in the past, but I think everyone was solid," she said. "We had 600 people and everybody was supportive and seemed to enjoy it. I think the program was a lot more concise, so I think people got what they wanted with not a lot of fluff."

Notes:

Meyer on backup quarterback Cardale Jones: "Cardale Jones, a guy who had a one-way bus ticket back to Cleveland about a year ago, with just his whole seriousness approach to academics, approach to lifestyle and approach to Ohio State football up until yesterday was having an excellent spring. I promised I would focus on the positives so we're going to disregard yesterday, because he was awful. But he's had a tremendous spring and without question he can play quarterback at Ohio State."

Meyer said he'd take his tight ends over any other combination in America. Said Jeff Heuerman will be fine in six weeks and will be a captain this fall. Loves the depth at that position and thinks they'll go to the tight ends a little more this year.

Dontre Wilson has also impressed Meyer, who said the Texas native is having an outstanding spring. According to Meyer, "He'll occupy that coveted ‘Percy Harvin' position, a guy who can run the ball inside but also have a perimeter run game."

Linebacker Darron Lee got more praise from Meyer, who says he's been terrific and very hard to block.

Meyer expects to be nominating Doran Grant for an all-Big Ten slot this fall. Also says that Gareon Conley is a name to remember. Eli Apple "is a young man who's getting better."

Johnnie Dixon, what's been your biggest adjustment? "My transition was the weather," he deadpanned. "Down in South Florida, it's pretty hot every day… I got adjusted to it very quick, so it's not a big deal for me now." He added that it's been a tough adjustment in learning the offense but he's been progressing in that regard.

Chris Ash: "I think you'll be happy with the product that we put on the field in the fall. If we get that effort and we can challenge things, great things can happen because we're going to be able to start focusing on the little things that go a long way to make you really successful."

Curtis Grant says the defense is a lot more simple with a lot of blitzing. He said they're having a lot of fun in practice.

Darron Lee was asked jokingly who would be more famous in his family when his career is done. "Probably still my mom," Lee said, drawing laughs. He also said his favorite part of transitioning from QB to LB is getting to hit people instead of taking beatings.

Michael Bennett was referred to as "Angry Mike Bennett" multiple times but opened his answer session by saying, "First of all, I'm not really that angry." He said that Larry Johnson coaches with a lot of support and said that he got the players on board real quick with that approach and because it's very obvious he knows what he's doing.

Ash said Tommy Schutt didn't give him the time of day when he tried to recruit him to Wisconsin and he joked that he consoled himself by telling himself that Schutt would be a big bust. Obviously hoping that's not the case now.

\r\n\r\nHe followed that joke up a few minutes later with another one as he waited for the offensive linemen to come up to the stage for questioning.

\r\n\r\n\"I heard they also lost some playbooks up north,\" he said. \"The Team Up North had, I heard that someone broke in and stole some playbooks. I heard Brady was really upset because he hadn't finished coloring them.\"

\r\n\r\nOhio State head coach Urban Meyer was also in a storytelling mood when he took the podium, sharing a tale from the 2006 SEC Championship game when his Florida Gators defeated Arkansas, 38-28, to advance to the BCS title game.

\r\n\r\nPrior to the game, he was approached by former Ohio State coach Earle Bruce, who is the grandfather of OSU wide receivers coach Zach Smith, then on the staff at Florida as a quality control assistant.

\r\n\r\n\"I'm sitting there staring at my game plan, and all of a sudden I feel someone punch me in my side,\" Meyer recalled. \"He goes, ‘You OK?' and I said, ‘Oh hey, coach, I didn't know you were there.' There were a bunch of young ladies cleaning up the plates and all that, and I said, ‘Actually, I'm not doing very good here. I'm tightening up. I've gotta loosen up.'

\r\n\r\n\"He started just swinging and hit me in the chest. I can't use the language he was using, but he said, ‘What the eff is wrong with you?' And then I'll never forget this – he said, ‘Let the MFer go,' screaming at me. Those poor young ladies… I'm being assaulted by – I don't want to say an old man, but an older guy, actually beating the hell out of me right in front of them.

\r\n\r\n\"And so the message is very clear. I wrote down right on the bottom of a little manila folder I always carry with me, ‘Let the blank-blank go.' I give him credit, there was a call made on 4th-and-11 on our own 10-yard line. Things are going to go bad unless we change the momentum of that game. I look right down there, so I give credit to Coach Bruce for punching me in the chest and having me make that call.\"

\r\n\r\nAfter Arkansas scored three straight TDs to take a 21-17 lead late in the third quarter, Jemalle Cornelius rushed for 17 yards and a first down on that fourth-down call to preserve the drive. Florida went on to score and never trailed again.

\r\n\r\nMeyer, along with his coaches, players and OSU fans were on hand at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center for Coach Meyer's Buckeye Football Spring Kickoff. Funds raised from the event benefit the OSU Wexner Medical Center's Earle & Jean Bruce Alzheimer's Research Fund and the Urban & Shelley Meyer Cancer Research Fund.

\r\n\r\nA live auction led by WBNS-TV sports anchor Dom Tiberi raised $14,050, and there was also a silent auction beforehand. One of the seven items, a four-person package for the Ohio State football women's clinic, helped raise funds for Maria's Message in an attempt to combat distracted driving. Tiberi's daughter, Maria Tiberi, was killed in a car accident on Sept. 17.

\r\n\r\n\"I encourage you to check us out on the web and check us out on 10-TV and please share Maria's Message with those that you love,\" Tiberi said.

\r\n\r\nLynn Bruce, daughter of the former OSU head man, was pleased with the event, which she estimated raised about $90,000 before the silent auction.

\r\n\r\n\"It was a little bit lighter than we've had in the past, but I think everyone was solid,\" she said. \"We had 600 people and everybody was supportive and seemed to enjoy it. I think the program was a lot more concise, so I think people got what they wanted with not a lot of fluff.\"

\r\n\r\nNotes:\r\n

\r\nMeyer on backup quarterback Cardale Jones: \"Cardale Jones, a guy who had a one-way bus ticket back to Cleveland about a year ago, with just his whole seriousness approach to academics, approach to lifestyle and approach to Ohio State football up until yesterday was having an excellent spring. I promised I would focus on the positives so we're going to disregard yesterday, because he was awful. But he's had a tremendous spring and without question he can play quarterback at Ohio State.\"

\r\n\r\n

\r\n\r\nMeyer said he'd take his tight ends over any other combination in America. Said Jeff Heuerman will be fine in six weeks and will be a captain this fall. Loves the depth at that position and thinks they'll go to the tight ends a little more this year.

\r\n\r\nDontre Wilson has also impressed Meyer, who said the Texas native is having an outstanding spring. According to Meyer, \"He'll occupy that coveted ‘Percy Harvin' position, a guy who can run the ball inside but also have a perimeter run game.\"

\r\n\r\nLinebacker Darron Lee got more praise from Meyer, who says he's been terrific and very hard to block.

\r\n\r\nMeyer expects to be nominating Doran Grant for an all-Big Ten slot this fall. Also says that Gareon Conley is a name to remember. Eli Apple \"is a young man who's getting better.\"

\r\n\r\n

\r\n\r\nJohnnie Dixon, what's been your biggest adjustment? \"My transition was the weather,\" he deadpanned. \"Down in South Florida, it's pretty hot every day… I got adjusted to it very quick, so it's not a big deal for me now.\" He added that it's been a tough adjustment in learning the offense but he's been progressing in that regard.

\r\n\r\nChris Ash: \"I think you'll be happy with the product that we put on the field in the fall. If we get that effort and we can challenge things, great things can happen because we're going to be able to start focusing on the little things that go a long way to make you really successful.\"

\r\n\r\nCurtis Grant says the defense is a lot more simple with a lot of blitzing. He said they're having a lot of fun in practice.

\r\n\r\nDarron Lee was asked jokingly who would be more famous in his family when his career is done. \"Probably still my mom,\" Lee said, drawing laughs. He also said his favorite part of transitioning from QB to LB is getting to hit people instead of taking beatings.

\r\n\r\nMichael Bennett was referred to as \"Angry Mike Bennett\" multiple times but opened his answer session by saying, \"First of all, I'm not really that angry.\" He said that Larry Johnson coaches with a lot of support and said that he got the players on board real quick with that approach and because it's very obvious he knows what he's doing.

\r\n\r\nAsh said Tommy Schutt didn't give him the time of day when he tried to recruit him to Wisconsin and he joked that he consoled himself by telling himself that Schutt would be a big bust. Obviously hoping that's not the case now.

Speaking to a crowd of Buckeye football supporters on Wednesday, Ohio State offensive line coach Ed Warinner had a little bit of fun at the expense of the Wolverines.

\"Late in the fall, a lot of people get nervous because there's a lot of loud, annoying Wolverines that just make you nervous, bother you,\" Warinner said. \"If you're worried about those guys, just move your family to Pasadena for a month and you'll be fine. You'll never have to deal with them.\"

Ed Warinner: "If you're worried about Wolverine fans, just move to Pasadena. You'll never have to deal with 'em."

He followed that joke up a few minutes later with another one as he waited for the offensive linemen to come up to the stage for questioning.

\"I heard they also lost some playbooks up north,\" he said. \"The Team Up North had, I heard that someone broke in and stole some playbooks. I heard Brady was really upset because he hadn't finished coloring them.\"

Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer was also in a storytelling mood when he took the podium, sharing a tale from the 2006 SEC Championship game when his Florida Gators defeated Arkansas, 38-28, to advance to the BCS title game.

Prior to the game, he was approached by former Ohio State coach Earle Bruce, who is the grandfather of OSU wide receivers coach Zach Smith, then on the staff at Florida as a quality control assistant.

\"I'm sitting there staring at my game plan, and all of a sudden I feel someone punch me in my side,\" Meyer recalled. \"He goes, ‘You OK?' and I said, ‘Oh hey, coach, I didn't know you were there.' There were a bunch of young ladies cleaning up the plates and all that, and I said, ‘Actually, I'm not doing very good here. I'm tightening up. I've gotta loosen up.'

\"He started just swinging and hit me in the chest. I can't use the language he was using, but he said, ‘What the eff is wrong with you?' And then I'll never forget this – he said, ‘Let the MFer go,' screaming at me. Those poor young ladies… I'm being assaulted by – I don't want to say an old man, but an older guy, actually beating the hell out of me right in front of them.

\"And so the message is very clear. I wrote down right on the bottom of a little manila folder I always carry with me, ‘Let the blank-blank go.' I give him credit, there was a call made on 4th-and-11 on our own 10-yard line. Things are going to go bad unless we change the momentum of that game. I look right down there, so I give credit to Coach Bruce for punching me in the chest and having me make that call.\"

After Arkansas scored three straight TDs to take a 21-17 lead late in the third quarter, Jemalle Cornelius rushed for 17 yards and a first down on that fourth-down call to preserve the drive. Florida went on to score and never trailed again.

Meyer, along with his coaches, players and OSU fans were on hand at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center for Coach Meyer's Buckeye Football Spring Kickoff. Funds raised from the event benefit the OSU Wexner Medical Center's Earle & Jean Bruce Alzheimer's Research Fund and the Urban & Shelley Meyer Cancer Research Fund.

A live auction led by WBNS-TV sports anchor Dom Tiberi raised $14,050, and there was also a silent auction beforehand. One of the seven items, a four-person package for the Ohio State football women's clinic, helped raise funds for Maria's Message in an attempt to combat distracted driving. Tiberi's daughter, Maria Tiberi, was killed in a car accident on Sept. 17.

\"I encourage you to check us out on the web and check us out on 10-TV and please share Maria's Message with those that you love,\" Tiberi said.

Lynn Bruce, daughter of the former OSU head man, was pleased with the event, which she estimated raised about $90,000 before the silent auction.

\"It was a little bit lighter than we've had in the past, but I think everyone was solid,\" she said. \"We had 600 people and everybody was supportive and seemed to enjoy it. I think the program was a lot more concise, so I think people got what they wanted with not a lot of fluff.\"

Meyer on backup quarterback Cardale Jones: \"Cardale Jones, a guy who had a one-way bus ticket back to Cleveland about a year ago, with just his whole seriousness approach to academics, approach to lifestyle and approach to Ohio State football up until yesterday was having an excellent spring. I promised I would focus on the positives so we're going to disregard yesterday, because he was . But he's had a tremendous spring and without question he can play quarterback at Ohio State.\"

Meyer said he'd take his tight ends over any other combination in America. Said Jeff Heuerman will be fine in six weeks and will be a captain this fall. Loves the depth at that position and thinks they'll go to the tight ends a little more this year.

Dontre Wilson has also impressed Meyer, who said the Texas native is having an outstanding spring. According to Meyer, \"He'll occupy that coveted ‘Percy Harvin' position, a guy who can run the ball inside but also have a perimeter run game.\"

Linebacker Darron Lee got more praise from Meyer, who says he's been terrific and very hard to block.

Meyer expects to be nominating Doran Grant for an all-Big Ten slot this fall. Also says that Gareon Conley is a name to remember. Eli Apple \"is a young man who's getting better.\"

Johnnie Dixon, what's been your biggest adjustment? \"My transition was the weather,\" he deadpanned. \"Down in South Florida, it's pretty hot every day… I got adjusted to it very quick, so it's not a big deal for me now.\" He added that it's been a tough adjustment in learning the offense but he's been progressing in that regard.

Chris Ash: \"I think you'll be happy with the product that we put on the field in the fall. If we get that effort and we can challenge things, great things can happen because we're going to be able to start focusing on the little things that go a long way to make you really successful.\"

Curtis Grant says the defense is a lot more simple with a lot of blitzing. He said they're having a lot of fun in practice.

Darron Lee was asked jokingly who would be more famous in his family when his career is done. \"Probably still my mom,\" Lee said, drawing laughs. He also said his favorite part of transitioning from QB to LB is getting to hit people instead of taking beatings.

Michael Bennett was referred to as \"Angry Mike Bennett\" multiple times but opened his answer session by saying, \"First of all, I'm not really that angry.\" He said that Larry Johnson coaches with a lot of support and said that he got the players on board real quick with that approach and because it's very obvious he knows what he's doing.

Ash said Tommy Schutt didn't give him the time of day when he tried to recruit him to Wisconsin and he joked that he consoled himself by telling himself that Schutt would be a big bust. Obviously hoping that's not the case now.